1
And there went a man of the house of Levi, and took to wife a daughter of Levi.
2
And the womanconceived, and bare a son: and when she saw him that he was a goodly child, she hid him threemonths.
3
And when she could not longerhide him, she took for him an ark of bulrushes, and daubed it with slime and with pitch, and put the child therein; and she laid it in the flags by the river'sbrink.
4
And his sisterstood afar off, to wit what would be done to him.
5
And the daughter of Pharaoh came down to wash herself at the river; and her maidenswalked along by the river'sside; and when she saw the arkamong the flags, she sent her maid to fetch it.
6
And when she had opened it, she saw the child: and, behold, the babewept. And she had compassion on him, and said, This is one of the Hebrews'children.
7
Then said his sister to Pharaoh'sdaughter, Shall I go and call to thee a nurse of the Hebrewwomen, that she may nurse the child for thee?
8
And Pharaoh'sdaughtersaid to her, Go. And the maidwent and called the child'smother.
9
And Pharaoh'sdaughtersaid unto her, Take this childaway, and nurse it for me, and I will give thee thy wages. And the womantook the child, and nursed it.
10
And the childgrew, and she brought him unto Pharaoh'sdaughter, and he became her son. And she called his nameMoses:[a] and she said, Because I drew him out of the water.
11
And it came to pass in those days, when Moses was grown, that he went out unto his brethren, and looked on their burdens: and he spied an Egyptian*smiting an Hebrew, one of his brethren.
12
And he looked this way and that way, and when he saw that there was no man, he slew the Egyptian, and hid him in the sand.
13
And when he went out the secondday, behold, twomen of the Hebrewsstrove together: and he said to him that did the wrong, Wherefore smitest thou thy fellow?
14
And he said, Who madethee a prince[b] and a judge over us? intendest thou to kill me, as thou killedst the Egyptian? And Mosesfeared, and said, Surely this thing is known.
15
Now when Pharaohheard this thing, he sought to slayMoses. But Mosesfled from the face of Pharaoh, and dwelt in the land of Midian: and he sat down by a well.
16
Now the priest[c] of Midian had sevendaughters: and they came and drew water, and filled the troughs to water their father'sflock.
17
And the shepherdscame and drove them away: but Moses stood up and helped them, and watered their flock.
18
And when they came to Reuel[d] their father, he said, How is it that ye are come so soon to day?
19
And they said, An Egyptian*delivered us out of the hand of the shepherds, and also drew water enough for us, and watered the flock.
20
And he said unto his daughters, And where is he? why is it that ye have left the man?call him, that he may eatbread.
21
And Moses was content to dwell with the man: and he gaveMosesZipporah his daughter.
22
And she bare him a son, and he called his nameGershom:[e] for he said, I have been a stranger in a strangeland.
23
And it came to pass in processoftime, that the king of Egyptdied: and the children of Israelsighed by reason of the bondage, and they cried, and their cry came up unto God by reason of the bondage.
24
And Godheard their groaning, and Godremembered his covenant with Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob.
25
And Godlooked upon the children of Israel, and God had respect unto them.